ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —
The Department of the Air Force is implementing a new construct that will transform wings into cohesive Units of Action by dividing them into Combat Wings, Air Base Wings, and Institutional Wings. This transition will be carried out in phases, beginning no later than the summer of 2025.
The new concept will establish multiple organizations capable of carrying out combat operations and base defense. Base, institutional, and combat missions will be separated into distinct organizations – Institutional Wings and Combat Wings – each led by separate commanders.
Air Force combat wings will be organized as mission-ready Units of Action, with all necessary components stationed together at one installation for daily training. Deployable Combat Wings will be developed to deploy fully trained teams and will replace the previously announced Expeditionary Air Base and Air Task Force models from September 2023.
Combat Wings will prioritize mission-level warfighting readiness, supported by Air Base Wings focusing on platform readiness for power projection at the installation.
Institutional Wings will continue to provide essential support and capabilities for the organizational, training, and equipping requirements of the U.S. Air Force.
The objective is to field 24 Deployable Combat Wings to meet the Air Force’s rotational demands and provide depth for emerging crises – 16 Active Duty and 8 Reserve Component Wings.
The phased implementation plan includes:
Establishing Air Base Wings at installations hosting Combat Wings and/or Institutional Wings with supported/supporting relationships.
Creating the deployable variant of the combat wing: the Deployable Combat Wing. Each DCW will have a redesigned support concept for GPC schemes of maneuver, including Agile Combat Employment, to ensure readiness for wartime functions with assigned Airmen and units.
The Air Force will begin introducing Combat Wings, Air Base Wings, and Institutional Wings across the force starting as early as summer 2025. The first Combat Wings should be ready to deploy elements by late 2026 (FY27).
Transition from XAB to ATF to CW
In 2023, the Air Force established the Expeditionary Air Base (XAB) as an initial force presentation model in the move from Air Expeditionary Wings to a future force presentation model. Airmen have been deployed under the XAB construct since fall 2023 and will continue to do so in the coming years.
The first Air Task Forces entered the AFFORGEN cycle during the reset phase in summer 2024 and will be deployment-ready by fall 2025. These initial ATFs will replace some XABs as the US Air Force’s deployable unit of action.
During this trial period, Airmen will be deployed using both XAB and ATF force presentation models. Simultaneously, the phased approach of Combat Wings, Air Base Wings, and Institutional Wings will commence, with Combat Wings replacing ATFs and XABs.
